Transition
of Phase Structures in Mixtures of Lysine
and Fatty Acids
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Abstract
Aggregation behaviors of the mixtures
of lysine and fatty acids
(FAs) with different chain lengths in aqueous solutions were investigated,
and the self-assembled structural transition was determined in detail.
Aggregates including micelles, vesicles, sponge structures, and fibers
were observed by varying the compositions and the chain length of
fatty acids. The sponge phase found in mixtures of octanoic acid and
lysine was determined by freeze fracture-transmission electron microscope
(FF-TEM). Circular dichroism (CD) signals were detected in the self-assembled
structures due to the chirality of lysine molecules. The rheological
properties of samples consisting of different aggregates formed by
mixtures of lysine and fatty acids were measured, which provided the
controlling factor of the chain length. The combined effect of noncovalent
interactions including electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding,
and hydrophobicity is supposed to be responsible for the aggregation
behaviors, in which the hydrogen bonding acts as the main driving
force in the self-assembled process